Again, I was somewhat refreshed to gain access to another hidden object mystery game not dealing with ghosts, undead, or corrupt politicians (from the Greek poli meaning “many” and tics meaning “blood sucking insects”). In this game we are working with a high end magazine but it’s still pretty much a tabloid. Still, you’re an investigative reporter with a knack for being resourceful and helping people out of a jam, no matter whom they might be. In this little adventure, you’ll be helping out European supermodels, spoiled Park Avenue brats, and adventurous tycoon moguls, among many others. Read more...(268 words, 31 images, estimated 1:04 mins reading time)

Yet another hidden object mystery to creep us out. Something wicked this way comes in the form of Dark Arcana: The Carnival. It had a very Scooby-Doo kind of quality at first, with the carnival atmosphere, and its Olde Worlde setting. Soon, things weren’t so 70’s Saturday morning. In this story, a mother and her little girl go into a House of Fear at a carnival. On the way out, the girl steps back out of the entrance, and then the door slams behind them, and locks her mother in behind her. This is a odd situation where a parent goes missing from a public event rather than the child. The kid is very frightened, and the security officer promises to look after her while we take on the role of detective to find her mother. Read more...(399 words, 31 images, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

Playrix just keeps getting better and better with these undersea trips, except that in Aquascapes, the underwater adventure is not your typical hidden object mystery. We are building high end aquariums and populating them with happy fish, both mundane and exotic. We earn upgrades by playing hidden object puzzles, and earning coins to buy new decorations and pets, along with other accessories for our fishbowls.

Also, a sneaky little thing they do is get you to collect shells, and you might be tempted to click on just the scallop shells, but the shells can take any more, conch shells, snail shells, and even the text “shell” spelled out om some wood. Those shells are great to collect, because you can buy even better stuff with them. You know you’ve made a hit with the fish when little hearts float about them when you place a new plant or decoration down, and they love the food you give them. Read more...(223 words, 31 images, estimated 54 secs reading time)

If you liked Playrix’s Gardenscapes game, then you will most likely enjoy Barn Yarn. This is a sequel to the hidden object auction game, but now we are playing as designer to Farmer Joe, a relative to that old butler, and we are remodeling the farm. We start off with a beat up old barn, and immediately start looking for ways to make cash to fix it up.

The customers we run into while selling off the junk at the old farmstead are fairly patient people, and they will pay very well on everyday objects that we might find out in the wild in real life. While this is not a hidden object mystery, you might find it to be mystery on how quickly you can rack up the cash by selling junk from around the farm and looking for extra coinage that just seems to show up all over the place. Playrix also managed to get their logo, the young dragon, into the game itself as a child’s toy that Farm Joe’s grandson, Tommy, carries around, as well as part of the remodel sale. Read more...(240 words, 31 images, estimated 58 secs reading time)

I’m not sure exactly when this game came out. While the graphics in the artwork looked great, the storyline looked it bit washed out and lines seemed broken. This story is about Lana Vassari, a talented art restorer that is suddenly up to her ears in work when art thieves hit her hometown.

It seems that everyone in Lana’s loop has an angle. From the museum and gallery directors to the auction house. Old friends that just love art, and the odd buyer here and there. Even the FBI agent is keeping her busy in this hidden object mystery, but on the upside, this is not nearly as dark as many of these kinds of games are, and finding the little anachronisms is classic paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods is pretty fun. The background music sets the tone for whatever painting you are working on, including street noises and animals. Some of the hidden objects might be nearly impossible to find, but hints come at a price. Also, the focus was pretty much on the hidden object aspect of the game, and there were logic puzzles or weird locks to figure out. This was a big plus. Read more...(296 words, 31 images, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)